


The Quest

by thatwriterlady



Series: ABO Bingo 2018 [8]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Baby is a horse, Epic quest, F/M, Faerie Dean, Feelings, Fluff, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Happily Ever After, Human Castiel, Love, M/M, More OF A Misunderstanding, Tiny bit of Angst, Troll Benny, True Love, Very Miniscule
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-05-25 06:14:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14970818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatwriterlady/pseuds/thatwriterlady
Summary: Castiel, the youngest son of a farmer dreams of going on an epic quest one day.  His best friend Dean, a faerie who is hopelessly in love with him won't let him go on his own of course.  What would happen if Cas fell in love with a princess instead of him?  No, that just won't do...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I did it, another fairytale, everyone. I hope you like this one, and get a kick out of Dean here. Let me know what you all think. Enjoy!

 

 

**_Fantasy~_ **

****

Once, long ago there was a boy named Castiel, though he liked to be called Cas, and he lived in a place where magic existed.  There were dragons in the sky and faeries in his mother’s garden.  The woods were off limits because of the trolls and the river could not be played in because of the nymphs.  He was raised to respect all creatures, big and small, and as his 18th birthday grew closer, there was only one thing he wanted: a chance to go on a quest.

 

In his mind, a quest was something exciting, and all young men with important destinies were given quests by important people, be it a king, a lord, or whomever was important enough to need people to complete a quest.  He was only the youngest son of a farmer, but that didn’t stop him from dreaming big, even if his siblings thought him a fool for it.

 

Cas was an Omega, and he knew Omegas did not often get called to go on quests, but his life on the family farm was not all that he wanted his life to be.  He dreamed of his life having more to it than just planting corn and feeding the horses.  He trained himself to handle a sword so if the day ever came when someone tried to steal from his family, or thought they could overthrow the farm and take it for themselves, he would be prepared.  His best friend Dean, one of the fae that lived in his mother’s garden had taught him how to properly handle a sword, and he was ever so grateful to his friend for not seeing him as just a pup, or worse, as just an Omega.  Dean always treated him as his equal, and in return, Cas gave in to whatever minor requests Dean made.

 

The biggest request thus far was for Cas to plant sweet pea flowers along the back fence.  His mother hadn’t wanted the flowers, so he made a compromise with her.  She allowed him to plant the flowers as long as he did so in his own flower garden.  Dean and the other fae came to help and soon he had a garden even more beautiful than the one his mother had spent most of her life working on.  She was envious of her son’s garden but any attempt to bring harm to it was met with angry, protective faeries fighting back.  Eventually she gave up and settled for resenting her son and his natural gift with flowers.  Had she respected the fae and answered their meager requests for the flowers they wished for her to plant, her garden would have been just as beautiful, but she was a selfish woman with little respect for the faeries or their needs.  Cas though, was different.

 

Year after year passed, and no quests every came.  Cas was upset at first, worried next, then despair settled in.  Much as Dean assured him that he was special, and that an epic quest was indeed in his future, the faerie could not actually promise these things to the sad, young man.  All he could offer were his friendship and small adventures just the two of them could go on together, such as exploring the woods to see where the trolls lived (turns out the trolls weren’t scary after all, they just wanted someone to talk to), and going swimming in the river with the nymphs.  Dean had to avoid the many requests to stay by the water’s edge and be with them, and it took Cas more than a year before he realized they wanted Dean to fall in love with one of them.  Once he figured that out, they didn’t return to the water again.  There were places they could swim without going to the river, it just meant traveling a little further.  That was how, in the spring of Cas’ 21st year, he learned of a quest to save a princess.

 

King Gerald was not the ruler of the lands in which Cas lived, but he was on good terms with King Edward who was.  He was an old king, too old to go in search of his daughter Jody who had been taken from her royal convoy as it left the castle.  So excited was he over the idea of getting to go on a quest that he didn’t listen to the details.  Somewhere, there was a princess in need of rescue, and he was going to be the one to safely bring her home.

 

“Did you hear that, Dean?  A princess!  She needs to be rescued and if I’m the one to bring her home, I could be knighted!  Could you see that?  Me, _Sir_ Castiel Shurley.  It has a nice ring to it, does it not?”

 

Dean, at not bigger than three inches was perched on his human friend’s shoulder, frowning.  Still, he nodded.  There was a slim chance Cas might fulfill the quest by finding the princess and bringing her home.  Dean pointed at himself and then at Castiel.

 

“You’ll come with me?”  Castiel had long ago learned to interpret what the fae were saying by paying attention to their gestures.  It wasn’t that they couldn’t speak, it was that they were too tiny for Cas’ ears to hear.  Dean nodded eagerly before fluttering to his feet and nuzzling up against his friend’s cheek. 

 

“Aww, I care about you too, Dean.”  Cas said, smiling.  Dean growled, not that Cas had heard him.  He wasn’t trying to say that he cared, he was trying to tell the daft human that he loved him!

 

“We should start right away.  My family needs to know where I went of course, so first, we are heading home.  From there I’ll take Baby and we’ll get started.”

 

Dean clapped his hands together then flew up until he was hovering in front of Cas’ face.  He pointed up into the sky then made a motion like he was stomping.

 

“You think I should bring Benny?”

 

Dean nodded eagerly.

 

“Alright, I don’t see the harm in it.”  Cas conceded.  Benny was one of the trolls that lived in the forest.  They didn’t usually leave since most species of trolls turned to stone in the sunlight, but Benny was a river troll, and they were immune to the effects of the sun.  Dean settled on his shoulder once more, crossing both his legs and his arms as they began the long trek back to the Shurley farm.  Dean worried over how Cas’ family would respond when he told them what he was planning but he knew how his friend was.  There was nothing that was going to stop him once he set his mind to something.

 

It was a three day walk back to the Shurley farm, and then Cas was heading straight to the barn to get Baby ready.

 

“What do you think you’re doing?”  His eldest brother Luc came walking into the barn and was leaning up against the stall as he watched Cas saddle Baby for the long journey.

 

“I am going on a quest.”  Cas replied proudly.  On his shoulder, Dean buried his face in his hands and shook his head.  Luc noticed and grinned.

 

“A quest?  You?  What sort of “quest” are you going on?” 

 

“There’s a princess in need of being saved.  Bandits took her from her convoy and I intend to get her back.”  Cas replied.  He tightened Baby’s saddle and offered her a carrot which she happily accepted.

 

“A princess?  _Bandits_?  They’ll kill you!”  Luc was no longer amused.  “You can’t go up against bandits alone!”

 

“What’s this about bandits?”  Their brother Gabe asked as he walked in.  He set the saddle he’d been using on his horse Destiny on its block and turned to look at his brothers.

 

“Cas thinks he’s going to go after bandits.  By himself!”  Luc exclaimed.  On Cas’ shoulder Dean gestured with his hands, waving them wildly as he tried to tell Cas he agreed with his brothers.

 

“Quiet, or I won’t take you with me.”  Cas warned.  Dean dropped his hands and sat down again, crossing his arms in a huff.

 

“Even your faerie thinks that’s a bad idea.”  Gabe said.  “I don’t like the idea of you going off to fight bandits alone, and mother and father will be upset too if you do it.  Father may ban you from returning home.”

 

Cas turned to look at his brothers, both of whom were frowning.  “I’m not going alone.  I’m taking Dean and a troll.”

 

“A troll.  Cas, what on earth are you thinking?!”  Luc cried.  “You cannot trust trolls, they eat people!”

 

Cas rolled his eyes as he slid past them and exited the barn.  They both followed after him.

 

“Trolls do not eat people, though on occasion they can step on them.  I know Benny quite well and he only eats plants, fruits, and fish as he is a river troll.  You’re insulting Dean by saying he isn’t enough.”  He added.  Dean wrinkled his nose and shook his head.

 

“Let me come with you.”  Luc said.

 

“Me as well.”  Added Gabe.

 

“This is _my_ quest!”  Cas cried.  “I want to save the princess!”

 

“Then save her.  I just want to be there in the event the bandits try to hurt you.  If we come with, father will not be as angry.”  Luc slung an arm around his youngest brother’s neck, narrowly missing knocking Dean off.  He ignored the kick to his hand the faerie gave.  Dean flew down to Cas’ open palm and sat down there.

 

“How can you let little half naked people sit on you like that?  His butt is touching your hand.”  Luc grimaced.  Cas moved Dean to his other hand and playfully slapped his brother in the face.

 

“Well, now you can be called buttface!” 

 

Luc tore off after him around the yard while Dean flew up into the air to watch them for a moment before he went to his own home in the garden.  He found his mother tending to the roses and went to her first.

 

“Mother, I am going on a quest with Cas.”  He announced.  She flew down from the flower to stand in front of him, arms crossed, a scowl on her face.

 

“A quest?  So the fool human finally found one to go on and now he wishes to endanger your life as well?”

 

“He found a quest that I do not believe he will be able to complete, but it will be an adventure for us both.  I need to keep him safe.”  He insisted.

 

“Of course you do.  Without him, we would have not have the garden we wanted.  Keep him safe, and avoid other fae, they’re not all so kind.  She looked out across the yard to where Cas was wrestling with his brothers.  “He still has growing up to do before you tell him how you really feel.”

 

“I’ve tried, but I don’t think he feels the same way.  Either he doesn’t understand or he doesn’t want to believe it.  I think it’s that he does not understand, but I cannot know for certain unless I hear him say he does not love me back.  If I were but his size, he might come to love me in return.”  He sighed sadly.  “Were he to know that I am his Alpha, he might feel differently.”

 

“You can cast the spell to make yourself human but if you do, there is no going back.  You must be certain.”  She tugged on his arm until he fluttered close enough for her to wrap him up in her arms.  “You are a good man, Dean.  A good fae, one who Castiel loves, even if he does not yet realize it.  Have hope, my darling, and remain at his side.  When this quest is over, come home and try to get him to plant more thyme, we need more.”

 

Dean chuckled.  His mother could be supportive but also self-serving when needed.  He had half a mind to just move some thyme out of Cas’ mother’s garden.

 

“I will remain by his side, for life, if he will let me.  My love for him is infinite.  I wish he could hear me say such things to him.”  He sighed.

 

“If he listens with his heart, he will hear you clearly.  Now go and protect him.  I will tell your father where you are going, so he does not worry.”

 

“Without Cas here to protect the garden, watch out for his mother, she is envious and angry that we will no longer tend to her plants.  Keep our home safe.”  He urged.

 

“Worry not, my son, the garden will stay safe.

 

Dean flew off to look for Cas, and found him in the house with his brothers, breaking the news to their parents that they were all going on the quest together.  He lighted upon the open window and listened to what was going on.

 

“A quest?  What _kind_ of quest?”  Naomi, their mother demanded.

 

“Relax, my dear, I’m sure it’s not a dangerous one.”  Their father Charles patted his mate’s arm gently.  “Right, boys?”

 

Cas exchanged a worried look with his brothers.  Thankfully Luc spoke up first.

 

“No, not with Gabe and I coming along.  Cas is bringing his faerie too.”

 

“What good’s a faerie?  They just flitter about, pollinating the flowers and bothering me.  I wish they’d all just go away.”  Naomi complained.  Dean bristled at her words.  He was _not ever_ leaving Cas!

 

“We need the fae, Naomi.  Without them our crops would not prosper, and there would be no food for us.  We are blessed to have them; they’re _family_.”  Charles said calmly.

 

“We will leave now, and return hopefully within a fortnight.”  Gabe told them. 

 

“Pack them bread, dried meats, and berries.  They’ll need sustenance on their journey.”  Charles told his mate.  Naomi gave him an incredulous look before realizing he was serious.  She complained the entire way to the kitchen.  Knowing she couldn’t see him, Dean stuck his tongue out at her.  Cas, however did see him and had to stifle a laugh.

 

“Get your things together and leave in the morning, it’s too late in the day now.  Do you know where you’re going?”  Charles asked.

 

“Yes, east.”  Cas replied.  His father was clearly waiting for more information.  “To Morningcrest.” 

 

“Morningcrest.  That’s not in our kingdom.  Why Morningcrest?”

 

“We must leave today, it’s imperative.”  Cas insisted.  “But we will be home as soon as we can.”

 

“You say Dean is going with you?  Can he get other fae to protect you along the way?”

 

Cas looked back at the window, to where Dean still stood.  The faerie shrugged then nodded.

 

“He says yes, he can.”

 

Dean wasn’t sure if he could, but he’d try if need came of it.  Hopefully they wouldn’t need the help of any other faeries along the way, not if they had Benny with them.

 

It was less than an hour later, when all three horses were saddled up and the food Naomi had packed for her sons was tucked into their bags that they set out, heading east towards Morningcrest.  Dean rode on Cas’ shoulder, as he always did, and Benny, after being introduced to Luc and Gabe was excited to join in on the quest.

 

“You say you’re fae?  How is that possible?”  Luc asked the giant troll who easily kept pace alongside the horses.

 

“The fae are many.  Even the nymphs are fae.  There are more varieties of fae than there are humans.”  Benny explained, his voice booming across the open field, despite the fact that he was only talking, not yelling. 

 

“We were always told the trolls eat people, and to stay out of the forests because of it.”  Gabe said.

 

“Yes, Cas told me these things too.  It is not true.  People taste gross, or so I am told.  Other trolls, the ones that live in the forests, under the thick canopies of trees, they prefer deer, bear, moose, things like that.  I prefer fish.”

 

“Fascinating.  Wait, trolls ate people to find out they taste gross?”  Gabe was horrified.

 

“Many, many eons ago.  Not since then.”  Benny explained.

 

“Hey, we eat things too to find out whether we like them.  Can’t fault them.”  Luc laughed.  Cas grinned and looked at Dean.

 

“Don’t worry, to my knowledge, no one has ever eaten faeries.”

 

Dean held up his fists and motioned like he would beat up anyone that tried.

 

“What did he say?”  Gabe asked.  Cas was laughing and shaking his head in amusement.

 

“He says he’d beat up anyone that tried.”

 

“I bet he would.  Fae and their spells are a force to be reckoned with.  Cas is lucky he has one that likes him so much.”  Luc said.

 

 _“I LOVE HIM!”_   Dean shouted, not that it sounded like anything other than a squeak to Cas.  His wings sagged and he looked down at his bare feet which dangled over Cas’ shoulder.  He wished so hard that he could just say to Cas everything that was in his heart.  Paper was hard to come by and the one time he’d written it in the dirt, he’d belatedly realized it was too small for the human to read, and Cas had unknowingly planted violets there. 

 

“Why’s your faerie so sad?”  Gabe asked.  Cas looked over at Dean and noticed the sagging wings.

 

“What’s wrong, Dean?” 

 

Dean shook his head.  Cas wouldn’t understand him anyway.

 

“Dean.  Something is wrong, what is it?”

 

Again Dean shook his head.  This time he took to the air and flew up to Benny’s shoulder.

 

“Oh, I think he’s mad at you.”  Gabe said as Dean disappeared into the sky. 

 

“What did I do?”  Cas asked.

 

“Maybe you need to find that out later.”  Luc said.  “He’s upset about something.  I’m betting something important is getting lost in translation.”

 

Cas looked thoughtfully up at Benny but he couldn’t see Dean from way down there on his horse.  He wondered what Dean was trying to tell him that he wasn’t understanding.  Hopefully he’d get to the bottom of it later that night.

 

“I say we ride for two more hours, then rest for the night.”  Luc decided.  “We don’t want to leave ourselves vulnerable to more bandits.  Perhaps we should go into the forest to sleep.”

 

“That is a very good idea.”  Benny agreed.

 

“Benny will keep us safe from marauders.”  Cas looked up at the troll and smiled.  Benny smiled right back.

 

Trolls generally scared people because of their intimidating size.  Some people called the river trolls “giants” because they looked like giant human beings.  Many of the fae had human features, or looked human.  Even Dean did.  He looked like a tiny person with wings.  Unlike the stories though, his wings were not gossamer and fragile in appearance, they were strong, almost leathery, meant to carry his weight high into the sky and support him when he carried flowers, loads of pollen, or berries to and from his home.  Cas quite liked Dean’s wings and found them to be quite attractive for a faerie and with the use of his father’s magnifying glass, he’d been able to see Dean’s face close up.  Dean was absolutely beautiful and after examining each of the faeries in his garden, he’d come to believe Dean was the most attractive one of them all. 

 

Dean had a younger brother, Sam, and Sam spent most of his time working on the crops with several dozen other faeries but Dean worked the flower and herb gardens with his mother and another dozen or so.  They’d protected Cas’ garden against his mother’s wrath after they’d left Naomi’s garden and moved into Cas’.  They knew how wrathful and cruel she could be, and they refused to let her destroy their home.  They also cared deeply for Cas who was kind enough to provide houses for them, complete with doors and windows that closed so in the winter they could light a tiny fire and stay warm without having to travel south to warmer areas.  That was something Naomi had never done for them.  There were two dozen houses spread throughout Cas’ garden and come fall, he’d promised to add another dozen.  Cas’ garden spread across three luscious acres and contained every kind of flower imaginable.  Cas had asked his father for another two acres, and Charles had said yes.  He was in the process of turning the soil over and soon, there would be space for more flowers, herbs, and other edibles, like lettuce and squash.  The fae loved squash and Cas always shared.  Naomi was stingy by nature and didn’t share quite as willingly as her son. 

 

Riding along, Cas felt incredibly alone without Dean by his side.  His brothers were chatty and making jokes but it wasn’t the same.  Dean always listened and though Cas couldn’t hear his voice as anything but a very high pitched squeal, the faerie still managed to get his message across.  Except this time there was something he wasn’t able to convey, and it was upsetting him.  Because it was upsetting him, it upset Cas, and he was in a mood the entire next two hours.  When they finally stopped for the night, Benny left to see if there were any other trolls in the area, so they didn’t accidentally come through during the night and step on someone.  Dean did not go with him though and Cas was quite pleased to have his friend back, sitting on his shoulder and gesturing animatedly.

 

“I know, it’s a vast forest, different than the ones we played in as boys.”  Cas agreed.

 

“How do you know what he’s saying?”  Gabe asked as he sat down on the other side of his brother to watch as Dean continued making motions with his hands.

 

“I listen.  I may not hear his words, but I can usually tell what he’s trying to say.  If I’m wrong, he’ll let me know.”

 

“What’s he talking about now?” 

 

“Well,”  Cas smiled at Dean as he offered his hand and the faerie stepped down onto it.  “He’s talking about the difference between this forest and the one where we live.  He likes the pine trees, but not as much as the oak and box elder trees where we live.  He’s also saying the air is cooler here.  It is, because we’ve moved both east and north.  Morningcrest is northeast of where we live.  We’ll have to go further north to get there but if you get cold, you can ride tucked inside my tunic.”

 

The second part was directed to Dean, not to Gabe, and the faerie smiled and held his hands out wide.  Cas smiled as he moved his hand closer, and the faerie hugged his chin and kissed it.

 

“I think perhaps I know what he has been trying to say.”  Gabe narrowed his eyes as he studied Dean.  When the faerie held a finger up to his lips, his eyebrows shot up.  He’d thought Dean had wanted Cas to know, but now he didn’t?  Strange.

 

“What?  What is it?”  Cas asked.

 

“I’ll tell you soon.  I might be wrong.”  Gabe replied, still watching Dean who was gently stroking Cas’ cheek and staring up at him with absolute adoration.  Yes, the faerie was definitely in love with his brother.

 

“Fine.  Just be sure you _do_ tell me.”  Cas sighed.  He slumped back against the fallen log they’d sat down by and looked up at the sky.  It was hard to see the stars through the tree canopy.  The night was warm so he thought maybe they wouldn’t have to light a fire tonight.  Benny returned with firewood though and got a fire started. 

 

“By the middle of the night, you’ll be glad I lit this.”  He said.  Cas didn’t doubt his words at all.

 

“Come, Dean, we’ll get some rest.”  He laid down with a piece of the sweetbread his mother had packed, and shared it with his friend.  Once they were both full, Cas closed his eyes to get some sleep, and Dean slid into the gap between the Omega’s tunic and coat, where it was warm and cozy. 

 

“Dean’s in love with him, you know.”  Luc said an hour later, after he’d eaten and drank some water.  They’d been watching Cas and Dean sleep with quiet consideration, but it felt like it needed to be said, even if it wasn’t to Cas directly.

 

“I know, and I was going to tell Cas earlier, but Dean asked me not to.  I’m not sure why when I’m pretty sure he screamed “I love you” at Cas earlier.  He was most certainly upset that Cas wasn’t understanding his gestures.  You don’t think Dean’s an Alpha, do you?  Do fae have secondary genders like humans?”  Gabe’s nose crinkled as he cocked his head thoughtfully. 

 

“I would think they do.  Benny says he’s an Alpha.  Why wouldn’t Dean have a secondary gender too?  He’s fae, just like Benny.  With the love and devotion he showers on our little brother, I’d say it’s a safe bet that he is an Alpha.”  Luc said.

 

“Cas should know.”  Gabe looked over at his brother’s sleeping form.  Dean’s head and one hand were peeking out from the layers of Cas’ shirt, and it was incredibly sweet to see.  If Dean were human size, he was certain the faerie would have Cas wrapped up in his arms.

 

“Yes, he should know.  Tomorrow we should say something.” 

 

Gabe nodded in agreement.  “Yes, tomorrow.  Let us sleep now, and in the morning we’ll talk to him about it.”

 

With that, they laid down beside the already sleeping troll.  Tomorrow they’d talk to Cas about Dean being in love with him.


	2. Chapter 2

Luc and Gabe were awoken the following morning by the sound of someone arguing and since it sounded one sided, they knew Cas was fighting with Dean.  It was strange to hear since they knew how well their brother got on with the faerie but they both sat up, worrying when they heard what their brother was saying.

 

“Why wouldn’t a princess like me?  Because I’m a farmer, is that it?  Well I disagree.  If I rescue her, I might get knighted by the king, then I’d have a title.  You can mate a princess if you have a title.” 

 

Dean was gesturing wildly and hopping up and down on Cas’ hand.  It was quite obvious he was angry.

 

“Stop fighting.”  Luc demanded, the Alpha in him demanding order and submission.  Cas immediately dropped his gaze but Dean stood defiantly, staring Luc down.

 

“You’re an Alpha, aren’t you.”  He said it as a realization, not questioning it at all.  Dean gave a single curt nod of his head.  Luc turned his attention to his youngest brother.  “Cassie, you entertain many fantasies, and we all know how long you’ve dreamed of going on a quest, but the princess?  She’s mated, to a man nearly as old as her father, which is why he didn’t come out after her.  He can’t.  And just having a title isn’t enough; you must have royal blood too.  We do not.  Lastly?  Why would you say something like that to Dean?  Why would you choose a princess you’ve never seen before, one that’s old enough to be your mother, over the faerie that has been in love with you his entire life?  You’re a cruel man, dear brother, and you’ve broken his heart.”

 

Cas looked down at Dean who’s wings were now drooping as he knelt in the center of the Omega’s hand. 

 

“Dean?  You love me?”

 

Dean forced his head up so he was looking at the Omega, hoping the man couldn’t see the tears in his eyes.  He nodded.  Cas wished he could hold Dean close, to hug him truly and-

 

And what? 

 

His heart ached as he realized the pain he’d caused his friend, his best friend, if he was being honest.  Had the fantasy of rescuing the princess really gotten so deeply into his head that he’d begun to believe that she would not only _want_ him, but that he would be happy with her?  No, he knew he’d never be happy anywhere Dean wasn’t.  With that realization, it dawned on him that he loved Dean too, and that he always had.

 

“Dean, I’m so sorry, I never meant to hurt you.”  He broke down, the tears sliding down his cheeks.  “I’m a fool, one who got caught up in the quest.  I could never be happy with a princess, not when I’m in love with you.”

 

Gabe grinned and bumped Luc’s arm as they watched Dean jump up and then race up into the air, doing twirls and flips before alighting back on Cas’ palm.  He held up a hand and Cas held a finger up against it.  It was their own special way of communicating how much they cared for one another, though Cas felt a fool for not realizing his feelings, or Dean’s sooner. 

 

“Did he tell you that he can cast a spell?  Be with you as your true Alpha the way you want?”  Benny asked.  Cas looked up at the troll with surprise and excitement in his eyes.

 

“He can?  But…what about his family?”

 

“He will stay close to them.  The fae don’t abandon family, and you, Castiel, are his family too.  He’d been in love with you for over a decade now, since you were just a pup and he a…whatever a faerie pup is.”

 

Cas looked at Dean who had a sheepish grin on his face and nodded.

 

“Will you?  Will you be with me truly?”  He asked.  Dean nodded eagerly, gesturing wildly with his hands.  “Yes, I want you as my Alpha, forever.”

 

“Aww, true love.”  Luc said dryly.  “Let’s eat and get going if we’re still rescuing this princess.”

 

“Yes, she needs to be brought home to her father, but also to her mate.”  Cas said.

 

After they had eaten, they got back on the road.  Bandits knew better than to mess with a group that was traveling with a troll and a faerie, so they stayed away.  When they reached Morningcrest, they were not the first people there to attempt to rescue the princess, but they were the only ones to show up with fae.  People ran in terror from Benny, including the bandits, which made rescuing Princess Jody very easy.  They brought her home to her kingdom, and to her mate and father, both of whom were happy to have her home again.  Cas and his brothers were all knighted, and even Benny and Dean were as well.  They were given unimaginable riches to take home with them, enough that Cas realized he could buy a farm of his own, one he could live with Dean at, and the faeries could all come live there where he would take care of them.

 

The ride home was pleasant, and Dean spent half the time hanging out on Cas’ shoulder and the other half tucked into the folds of his shirt, sleeping near to his love’s heart, where the steady beat of it soothed him.  When they finally arrived home, Dean went to visit his parents while Cas and his brothers hurried to tell their father about their epic adventure.  Dean found his mother and father munching on a ripe strawberry with his brother Sam and he was glad to have them all together here for this news.

 

“You’re back!  How was your adventure, son?  Did the quest turn out to be everything you and Cas had hoped?”  His father, John asked.

 

“It did, and more.  He told me he loves me!”  Dean did a twirl in the air before landing on his feet again.  “He wants me as his Alpha!”

 

“That is good news, blessings on you both.”  John got up from his little wooden chair, something he’d made from pieces of wood Cas had brought at Dean’s request several years earlier, and pulled his son into a tight hug.

 

“Does this mean you won’t be able to talk to us anymore?”  Sam asked sadly.

 

“I will always talk to you, Sammy, and there are infinite spells that can be cast.  I know of one that will make it possible to speak to the fae.  I was never successful in telling Cas about that spell, nor could he read the book it’s in, he’s too big, but mother can cast it, and we’ll be able to speak any time we wish.  The spell is generational too, which means my children, their children, their children’s children and so forth shall always be able to communicate with the fae.”  Dean explained.  That made his brother perk up.

 

“Good!  I don’t want to ever lose touch.”

 

“Nor do I,”  Dean agreed.  He took a deep breath and smiled at his mother.  “I’m ready.  I want to be with Cas, have a family with him, and we’re going to buy a farm.  Half of us will stay with Charles, to help with his crops and half will come with to the new farm.  We won’t be far though, Cas doesn’t want to be far away from his father.  I’m not entirely sure how he feels about his mother.  She is a wicked woman.”

 

“She tried again to destroy the garden when you were gone.  Your father bit her, gave her the faerie sickness to keep her in her bed for a few days and out of the garden.  In the meantime, I maintained her garden for her.  I don’t _completely_ despise the woman.  I definitely don’t despise the plants.  They don’t deserve to be abused because of her anger.  Mary explained.  “Tell Cas to pack up all of our faerie houses, but also all of the plants as well.  Boxes of dirt will make it possible to move them.  We’ll tend to them on our travels.”

 

“I shall tell him.”  Dean promised.  He took a deep breath and let it out in a shaky exhale.  “It’s going to be so strange not being able to fly.  I think that, and dinners with my family are what I will miss the most.”

 

Mary stood up and came around the strawberry to hug her son.  “I will miss you, my sweet boy, but I’ll never be far.”

 

“I know.  I shall miss you too.”

 

Sam got in on the hugging, then John again.  Soon they were all standing around hugging Dean.  When they finally stepped back, Mary cupped her eldest son’s face in her hands and smiled.

 

“Are you ready?”

 

“As ready as I shall ever be.”  He replied.

 

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

 

Cas had been eager to tell his father the good news, but he was anxious to get back outside to the garden, and to Dean.  When Luc launched into a long story about the travel back to return Princess Jody, Cas slipped back outside.  He rounded the corner of the house, expecting to see the faeries all buzzing about, busy with their work but instead, he found a man standing in the middle of his garden.  He knew that face and it was even more beautiful this close up.

 

“Dean?”

 

Dean turned his head and smiled the moment his green eyes (now that Cas could see them clearly, he could see just _how_ green they were) met the Omega’s own blue ones.

 

“Cas!”

 

“Oh my, your voice!”  Cas held his arms out and after carefully stepping out of the garden and back onto the dirt, Dean hurried to him, pulling the Omega into his arms.  His first order of business was kissing Cas senseless, leaving the man gasping for air.

 

“Oh, you should have _told_ me you could be human!  Why did you never tell me?”  Cas asked.

 

“I couldn’t, not until you realized you were in love with me and said the words out loud.  I’ve said them to you so many times, but you never heard me.  Cas, I love you so much, and I will never stop loving you.”

 

“I love you too, Dean, and I will never stop being sorry for hurting you the way I did.  I never knew the fae could be with humans this way, otherwise I think I’d have realized much sooner just how much I loved you.”  Cas said as he laid his head on Dean’s shoulder.  He’d have to get the man some clothes, soon, he was dressed in nothing but the same bit of fabric around his waist that he’d worn for years.  Apparently that had enlarged along with the faerie.

 

“We can, if our chosen human loves us in return.  Perhaps you should talk to your father about that.  He did choose your mother after all.”

 

Cas lifted his head and stared up at Dean with wide eyes.  “No!  My father…was a faerie?”

 

“Was, and essentially is.  I am a faerie, even at this size.  But my mother cast another spell, so you and I, and our descendants will always be able to speak to the faeries.  I don’t have to lose out on talking with my parents or brother.  That’s the thing I would have missed the most, but I’d have still chosen you, Cas.  I’ve always chosen you.” 

 

“I love you, Dean.  I will always choose you too.  Now, we have to start looking for land near here.  I want to be close to my parents.  Come, I want to tell them the good news.  I can’t wait to be mated to you.”

 

He took Dean’s hand and started for the house.  As they went, he realized what Dean had said about his father.  That meant his mother really _did_ love his father, and before he was even human, she’d loved him as a faerie.  Maybe he actually did have something in common with her after all. 

**Author's Note:**

> Stay tuned, we have 17 more to go! Thanks for reading, as always, I value comments and kudos.


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